Fall 2018 - 60495 - PA 325 - Topics in Policy

Next Generation Scholars Research

The Next Generational Scholars Program is designed to provide professional development and research mentoring to promising young scholars who hope to work in global public policy in the future. The program begins with semester -long training in the basics of analytical research, writing and presentation in the fall semester. In the spring semester, the students will attain hands-on experience with real research, producing a collaborative report and social media projects on emerging issues in US foreign and domestic policy.

To practice many of these skills, we will work on several parts of a draft application for the Truman, Rhodes, Boren, Pickering or Marshall fellowships. The final project for the course will include a full draft and presentation/defense of a proposal for one of these highly competitive fellowships. After reading up on each of these, you may choose which fellowship will be the focus of your policy proposal work for this semester.

Readings will largely come from current policy reports, media, and scholarly journals. There is no book for this course. In addition, students are expected to read the national and international news daily and come prepared to talk about current events. There will be approximately 100 pages of reading per week.

Tentative Overview of Assignments and Grading:

I. Session Assignments (70%)

1. Editing (10%)

2. Op-ed on student engagement in policy (10%)

3. Personal Statement (10%)

4. Policy Proposal Abstract and Summary of Evidence (10%)

5. Rough Draft of Policy Proposal (10%)

6. Final Draft of Policy Proposal (10%)

7. Oral Presentation and Defense (10%)

II. Event Memos (20%):

In addition, you are required to attend at least two Strauss Center events over the course of the fall semester and prepare one-page summaries/reaction memos to each of the events. The calendar of Strauss Center events is available on the Strauss Center website at https://www.strausscenter.org/categoryevents/2.html. Each memo will be worth 10% of your overall grade.

III. Participation (10%):

This accounts for attendance, in-class participation and performance as a participant on the final panel defense teams.